Ancient Alexander the Great Coins Unearthed in Syria

Hellenistic period silver coins dating back to Alexander the Great were found near Najm Castle in northern Syria, the Syrian official news agency SANA said last week.

The coins were unearthed three weeks ago by a local man about to build a new. Found in a bronze box were more than 250 coins, according to Yousef Kanjo, the director of archeological excavations at the museum. The ancient coins were of two denominations: 137 tetradrachms and 115 drachmas.

The obverse or heads side of the discovered tetradrachms feature an image of Alexander the Great who ruled over one of the largest empires in ancient history from 336-323 BC. The reverse side depicts an enthroned Zeus with an eagle on his outstretched right arm and a scepter held in the left.

For more information on the discovery, to include an image, visit SANA.